On September 1st at London’s Royal Opera House, Decanter held the Presentation Dinner for the Decanter World Wine Awards.  From 4,500 entries in the 2004, exactly 10,983 wines were judged this year, making the DWWA the largest wine competition on the planet.  66% received a Commended, Bronze or Silver Medal  and 208 (2%) a  Gold, 99 Regional Trophies selected only from wines that have already won a Gold, and 28 International Trophies selected from these, with 14 from the Old World and 14 from the New.

 

New World Trophies
Argentina led the New World field four Trophies: Bodegas Etchart 2009 Torrontes from Salta in the north (Dry Aromatic under £10) confirming this grape’s quality and Domaine  Vistalba 2008 Malbec-Syrah from Patagonia in the south winning Red Blends under £10, while from the middle, Mendoza triumphed with Andeluna 2009 Malbec for Red Varietal under £10 and Finca Eugenio Bustos 2006 Malbec taking the over £10 slot.

Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling from New Zealand’s South Island Nelson region took the Sweet Wine over £10 Trophy for the second year, the other New Zealand award going to Schubert Block B Pinot Noir from Martinborough, where Pinots first gained recognition two decades ago.

 Chile cornered the Sauvignon Blanc Trophies, Vina Mayu Elqui Valley 2009 for under £10 and Casa Marin San Antonio Valley 2009 for over £10, while Cono Sur Riesling 2009 from the cool southern Bio-Bio Valley won Riesling under £10.  South Africa proved its continuing success with Chenin Blanc by De Heuval Barrel Fermented 2009 from Swartland taking the White Single Variety over £10 Trophy and Cape Point Vineyards 2008, the country’s coolest vineyard, grabbing the White Blend over £10 gong.

Finally, three stunning surprises from the New World, with Australia’s Cullen Kevin John  2007 Margaret River Chardonnay  beating  Grand Cru white Burgundies to gain Chardonnay over £10, Grant Burge 20 year old Tawny from the Barossa dominating the highest quality Ports and Madeiras to take Sweet Fortified over £10, and Clos du Val Stag’s Leap Cabernet 2005 once again proving Napa’s credentials by winning Red Bordeaux varietals over £10.    


Old World Trophies
France dominated the Old World with five Trophies with only one – Albert Mann Schlossberg Riesling 2008 – being in the over £10 bracket.  Chateau de Ligny 2008 Chablis took Chardonnay under £10, showing that a famous name doesn’t have to be expensive;  the Languedoc’s Jean-Michel Bonfils 2008 won White Blends under £10;  Famille Pouzin  2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Visan gained Red Rhone Varietals under £10 and Chateau Bouscasse 2005 Pacherenc de Vic-Bilh, hardly seen outside south-west France won Sweet Wine under £10, all notable triumphs.

Spain’s three unfortified Trophies were, unsurprisingly, all from the north, with Bodegas Palacio 2007 Rioja taking Red Spanish Varietals under £10, Bodegas Baigorri 2005 Rioja taking the over £10 slot and Casa Gran del Siurana 2006 Priorat winning the competitive Red Blends over £10, while Fernando de Castilla Palo Cortado took the Dry Fortified over £10 Trophy that their Amontillado won last year.

Italy showed her variety with wines from the Veneto:  Fattori Giovanni Soave 2008 for White Single Varietal under £10, Tuscany:  Tenuta Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino 2004 for Red Italian Varietals over £10 and Puglia: Sampietrana Salice Salentino 2006 for under £10.

That left two Old World Trophies that proved without any doubt that if quality is your aim, the sky is the limit where recognition is concerned:  Israel’s Carmel Valley Kayoumi Single Vineyard Shiraz 2006 saw off both the Rhone and Barossa Valleys to win Red Rhone Varietals over £10 and Ridgeview Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs 2006 from Sussex took the Trophy from the most classic and classy Vintage Champagnes for Sparkling Wine over £10.

Such was the Judgement of London.